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The poll winner for the May 2017 group read is The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

The year is 1327. Franciscans in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate. When his delicate mission is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths, Brother William turns detective. His tools are the logic of Aristotle, the theology of Aquinas, the empirical insights of Roger Bacon - all sharpened to a glistening edge by wry humor and a ferocious curiosity. He collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts, and digs into the eerie labyrinth of the abbey, where "the most interesting things happen at night."

This thread contains spoilers. If you would like to post with no spoilers, please do so here /topic/show/...

I have read the book twice, but only after I saw the movie did I get it. Cried at the end, really upsetting for a bibliophile like me.

I just couldn't get into this. I know it's a classic and it's beautifully written, and I almost feel guilty for not liking it, but I just couldn't get into the characters.

While Adso himself and, to a lesser extent, William (the two principal characters) stood out, I felt that the supporting cast were often difficult to tell apart and I often forgot which was which. That said, perhaps it's a bit harsh of me to criticise the author for my lack of attention.

There were areas of this book that were fascinating, mainly around the religio-politics of the era, but equally there were areas that I found difficult not to skip over (the architecture of the library and labyrinthe, for example). Certain phrases which I couldn't help thinking were probably important were written in Latin or German.

Because I wasn't sure which monk was which, ultimately I didn't care who did what to whom. And the motive behind the murders seemed unforgivably trivial.

I read this book last year. My review is here:
/review/show...

While I liked the book better than Richard because of my love of history, I have to say that his comments are identical to mine.

Anne, thanks for reminding us there is a movie!

Richard wrote: "I just couldn't get into this. I know it's a classic and it's beautifully written, and I almost feel guilty for not liking it, but I just couldn't get into the characters.

While Adso himself and,..."

I have never read this, and after seeing the movie many years ago, could not tell anyone anything of significance about it. I am going to try and read it but I have no idea if I will finish it.

In my opinion, this is one of the greatest books. Not an easy read, as some noted above, but this book has several layers you can choose from. The surface level I would call a medieval crime mystery - read that and skip the rest. It's great and you can not bother with the rest if it' s too heavy. (It' s as cool as watching the movie). Some of his books are a headache for me , but this is .... just perfect. One of my all time favorites.

I loved this book. Probably read it at the mystery level because it told me right along. It will be a fun book to discuss

Since this is a spoilers thread, I'd highly recommend the Everyman's Library edition. It has a (spoiler-filled) introduction by academic David Lodge which really primes you for the book. It's a cracking good read just as an historical mystery, but Lodge sensitizes the reader to the deeper levels of meaning. The book really is like peeling a big, beautiful Bermuda onion. And OK, it's also a Sean Connery movie, which is a big plus in my book, too.

Well...I've finished it. Gave it 5 stars. It was a challenging read but you really can't ignore the page after page of religious debate and discourse as it offers insight into the beliefs of the day...beliefs that ultimately are at the heart of the mystery.